Last updated on September 12th, 2025 at 05:56 am
Picture this: You’re going about your day—maybe at work, grocery shopping, or watching Netflix—when you get a text from a band you grew up listening to:
“Hey, can you perform at Minnesota’s largest outdoor music festival… tomorrow?”
This is what happened when Motion City Soundtrack (MCS) announced on Instagram that their frontman, Justin Pierre, was out sick just before their set. Rather than cancel, they got creative—assembling a lineup of artists to pull off a full live-performance karaoke set on the Crow’s Nest stage with four artists whom I’ve affectionately dubbed the “Ringer Singers.”
With just a few hours of rehearsal, memory, and a teleprompter, they stepped in to deliver a show for 30,000+ fans.
What’s a Ringer Singer?
The term “ringer” comes from sports—it’s someone brought in, sometimes unexpectedly or secretly, because of their unique skill set to help carry the team.
Ringer Singer is something I coined while writing this article, even though I cannot lay claim to its originality.
The Ringer Singers
Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy)
The most well-known of the four, Patrick Stump, opened the set and carried a big part of the performance. A longtime fan of MCS, his presence grounded the chaos and added serious star power. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get an interview. He’s kinda of a big deal.
Ber (Berit Dybing)
An indie pop singer-songwriter from Walker, Minnesota, Ber has released three EPs: And I’m Still Thinking About That (2022), Halfway (2023), and Room For You (2024).
When did you find out you’d be helping out Justin Pierre at MYC?
“3 pm the day before—the guys texted me and explained the situation! I was comfortable with some songs, knowing Patrick would take the lead on those, but they asked me to learn ‘Last Night’ and ‘A Life Less Ordinary’—which I honestly learned during the Uber ride to rehearsal,” said Ber.
How was it following Patrick Stump after the set?
Ber said, “That was definitely the hardest part. Both Justin and Patrick are living legends. It was nerve-racking, but just being there was incredible. Patrick’s so nice and a longtime fan of the band, I knew he’d crush it. I was just excited to witness it. A very special scenario.”
Despite nerves and even a restart on one track, Ber nailed it on “Last Night” and “The Lifeless Ordinary (Need a Little Help).”
Nadirah “Nadi” McGill (Gully Boys — Drummer)
Gully Boys is a Minneapolis-based grunge pop/punk trio formed in 2016, with releases including Not So Brave (2018), Phony EP (2019), Favorite Son EP (2021), and singles like See You See (2022) and Optimist (2023).
When did you find out you’d be helping out Justin Pierre at MYC?
“Josh (guitarist of MCS) texted me around 2 pm the day before, asking if Gully Boys were in town. A few hours later, I was at their practice space and we ran through the song TWICE,” Nadi said.
Nadi stepped in for “Mary Without Sound,” Nadi top-streamed song of the previous year.
How would you describe the experience?
“There are no words for what it meant to sing that song with Motion City Soundtrack. All those hours of car karaoke and disturbing my neighbors paid off! I’m usually the drummer, not the front person—but this experience awakened something in me. Maybe a side project incoming…” Nadi Said
Kathy Callahan (Gully Boys — Lead Vocalist)
“Nadi called me while I was working (as a house cleaner) around 1 pm on Friday. I was in disbelief. I looked at my invisible watch and said, ‘Wait… HOW much time do I have?’ I said f*ck it and listened to ‘This Is For Real’ on repeat while finishing work,” Kathy said.
Kathy took the mic for one song, “This Is for Real,” and made it count:
How was the experience of participating?
“There’s nothing like it. It’s exhilarating, high-stakes karaoke in front of 30,000 people. You can’t match that adrenaline. I was especially happy to have bandmate Nadi experiencing it alongside me,” Kathy said.
Nerves? Absolutely. (Kinda)
We asked each singer how they felt during the performance:
- Ber: “Yes! Way more nervous than I usually am for my shows. It was the spontaneity and technical constraints—I really wanted to deliver for the fans.”
- Kathy: “I was so nervous I could hardly hold a conversation. But I didn’t let it stop me, and I had the time of my life.”
- Nadi: “To be honest, I didn’t have time to be nervous! The sheer number of people made it feel surreal.”
Would They Do It Again?
Absolutely.
- Ber: “The timing to help Justin and the guys out felt very kismet and totally unexpected—I’d never met them before! Helping out was a bonus, and meeting Nadi, Kathy, and Patrick was amazing. We laughed about how it takes four people to make one Justin—and I think that’s just the truth.”
- Nadi: “No question! I’d do it for MCS again. The first two bands that come to mind would be Fall Out Boy or Panic! At the Disco. I know those songs like the back of my hand—it would feel like a similar, otherworldly experience.”
- Kathy: “Without a doubt! I’d do it for Motion City Soundtrack, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, or My Chemical Romance, all my favorite bands growing up!”
@gullyboysband If you told me 7 days ago that I would be filling in for Justin Courtney Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack alongside Patrick Stump, I would have laughed in your face. #motioncitysoundtrack #minnesotayachtclub #patrickstump #falloutboy #gullyboysband
♬ original sound – Gully Boys Band
Nerves aside, this was undoubtedly a moment these performers will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Under unexpected circumstances, they pulled off a one-of-a-kind set for a hometown crowd full of Motion City Soundtrack fans and delivered. So if any band ever needs a “ringer singer,” here are four fearless artists ready to step in.
